Strike
by The Worst Nightmare
Summary: Lightningpaw and her brother were supposedly abandonded at birth. Lightningpaw had always been uncertain of it. Now, she has the knowledge she needs to piece her family back together, but will they want to be a family again? I stink at summaries. R&R!
1. Prologue

Well, hey there, happy people of the universe

**Well, hey there, happy people of the universe! It's been a **_**long**_** time since I've updated/written a new story. School finally ended yesterday, so I decided I'd write a new fanfiction to kick off summer vacation!**

Prologue

The night was silent as the slender silver shape stalked through the bushes, keeping its triangular head close to the ground. Four small paws pattered softly on the leaf-covered ground, while two amber eyes swept through the forest, making sure that nobody had followed her. The moon was covered by clouds. The creature took this as a bad omen, but plodded on nonetheless.

By the time the creature reached its destination, rain had begun to fall. The creature poked its head into a small clump of brambles, where another of the same creature sat waiting, his tail wrapped around his large paws.

"I've been waiting," he meowed rather sourly. "Hurry up and get them out of here before my Clan finds out what I've been up to." The tom stepped aside to reveal two small kits. One of them was a ginger tabby, like him. The other was silver, like the slender she-cat that had come to pick them up.

The she-cat could still vividly recall how these two kits had been carried in her stomach for two moons, and were born in this very clump of brambles. She remembered how the tom had insisted that he take the kits back to camp to be nursed until they were strong enough to make the journey to their mother's Clan. The kits still hadn't opened their eyes yet.

"What if my Clan suspects something?" the she-cat fretted.

"Tell them that you found them in a clump of brambles," the tom replied. "It's the truth. Just don't tell them _which_ clump of brambles you found them in, if you value your life." The tom unsheathed his claws.

"Marredsoul," the she-cat sighed. "I honestly don't know what happened to you. You used to be so kind."

Marredsoul snarled. "I can't take care of these kits anymore," he said. "Once they open their eyes, it'll be too late. You have to take them to your Clan, now."

The she-cat picked up the two kits by the backs of their necks, trying not to bang them against each other. She dipped her head in thanks to her mate and started back toward her Clan.

By now, the rain had gotten so heavy that the she-cat could hardly see where she was headed. She had to follow what little scent trail there was left back to her Clan.

Just several dozen fox steps from the entrance to the camp, a sudden clap of thunder startled the she-cat, causing her to drop the ginger tabby kit. Then there was a bright flash, and a searing pain ripped through the she-cat's chest. She fell to the ground, the silver kit falling from her mouth, and waited, desperately clinging to life.

She didn't need to wait long. Within moments, a patrol was out, searching the territory for any damage done by the lightning.

"Meekheart!" One of the cats gasped. "Meekheart has been struck by lightning!"

Meekheart raised her head as a group of cats approached her. "Marredsoul," she moaned before her eyes glazed over and rolled into the back of her head.

**So, how was that for the beginning of my comeback fic? I assure, you, I will be updating often. Please leave reviews, lemme know what you think! It's been a while since I've flexed the creative side of my brain, and I'm a bit rusty. Enjoy!**


	2. Chapter 1

-1Chapter 1

Lightningpaw opened her eyes slowly and looked around the apprentices' den. It was just past dawn, and only about three other apprentices were still asleep. Lightningpaw got to her paws and stretched, parting her jaws in a wide yawn. Then, she headed for the fresh-kill pile, the first place she went every morning. Her brother, Cragpaw, and his two friends Hazepaw and Smudgepaw, were already munching away, sharing two mice and a thrush between them.

Smudgepaw was the first to spot Lightningpaw. He raised his tail in greeting and called, "Hey! Want to join us?" Cragpaw cuffed Smudgepaw on the ear with his paw. Smudgepaw's tail fell.

Lightningpaw trotted up to the fresh-kill pile, grabbed a mouse, and sat opposite from the group of toms. She gnawed at the mouse until it was nothing but a carcass. Then, she swiped her pink tongue over her lips, got to her paws, said goodbye to her brother and his friends, then headed for the warriors' den.

"Grayfoot?" Lightningpaw whispered. Grayfoot, Lightningpaw's mentor, was fast asleep in his nest, snoring heavily. Lightningpaw padded into the den, avoiding the other sleeping warriors, and prodded Grayfoot with her paw.

"Hmm?" Grayfoot murmured, raising his head and looking around.

"Are we going to train today?" Lightningpaw asked eagerly.

"Oh, right," Grayfoot mewed, standing sleepily. "Training." He flicked his tail and padded out of the den, Lightningpaw trailing behind him. "Today," Grayfoot meowed, padding out of camp. "We'll be practicing fighting techniques."

"Great!" Lightningpaw mewed enthusiastically. The two cats made their way through the forest toward the training hollow. As they padded on through the silence, Lightningpaw felt a pang in her chest. She tried to ignore it, but it only grew stronger. Then, as they passed a patch of dead, burnt grass, the pain became unbearable, and Lightningpaw crumpled to the ground, moaning. Grayfoot turned and padded worriedly.

"Are you alright?" he asked. "Maybe we shouldn't train today."

Lightningpaw just shook her head. "There's something about this place. It hurts."

Grayfoot inspected the patch of dead grass. Suddenly, his eyes widened in understanding, and he hauled his apprentice to her paws. "Why don't you just go back to the apprentices' den and rest for a while?" he suggested.

"Why?" Lightningpaw asked. "What's wrong with this place?"

Grayfoot shook his head. "Just go back to camp. I'll catch you something to eat in a while."

Lightningpaw was not eager to go, but followed her mentor's orders anyway.

--

It was late in the afternoon when Grayfoot returned, just as Marshstar, the leader of LightClan, called a meeting.

"As you all know," Marshstar meowed when his whole Clan had gathered around him. "Tonight is the Gathering." Then, the leader proceeded to call the names of the cats that would be going with him to the Gathering. When Lightningpaw's name was called, she immediately jumped up and headed for the entrance to the camp, where the group of cats was forming. Then, Marshstar leapt down from his perch, wormed his way to the front of the group of warriors and apprentices, then flicked his tail and led his Clan to the Gathering.


	3. Chapter 2

-1**Hola, amigos! It's Sunday! -throws confetti- Tomorrow, I start band camp! Yeah, sure, call me a geek, but I like band. Anyway, I'll still be able to update, since the course is only four and a half hours long. Ummm…yeah. Enough about my personal life. Just so you all know, there are **_**seven**_** Clans in this story! So, yeah. I'll probably type up the allegiances later, just so you don't get all confuzzled. Mmhmm. That's it for now. Here goes!**

Chapter 2

It took the large group of cats a while to get to the Gathering. They were the last Clan to arrive. Lightningpaw was awestruck by the number of cats she saw in the circle of willows that the Clans used for Gatherings, and she knew that this wasn't even all of them. As LightClan entered the Willow Circle, as it was called, several of the warriors were instantly greeted by friends from other Clans. The apprentices merged into groups of other apprentices from the other six Clans. Lightningpaw, who didn't know anyone, simple sat down and glanced around the clearing. Then, she spotted a tom warrior from another Clan who was also sitting by himself. He was an orange tabby, just like Lightningpaw. He had the same broad shoulders and muscular build as Lightningpaw, too. Lightningpaw suddenly felt herself being pulled toward him against her will. Before she knew it, she was standing in front of the mysterious tom.

"Hi," Lightningpaw mewed meekly. The tom stared at her for a moment in wonder and confusion, then narrowed his eyes.

"What are you doing, you runt?" the tom snarled scornfully. "Shouldn't you be in the nursery?"

Lightningpaw was taken aback. Sure, she was smaller than most apprentices her age, but she had never considered herself as a runt. What she lacked in size, she made up for in muscle. "I…I just wanted to talk," Lightningpaw replied. She sounded like a total mousebrain. _Just walk away now!_ she kept telling herself, but she just couldn't seem to drag herself away from the warrior.

"Well, I've got better things to do than talk to a stupid kit," the tom meowed. "Who are you, anyway?"

"I…I'm Lightningpaw," Lightningpaw stammered. "I'm from LightClan."

"I couldn't care less what Clan you belong to," the tom muttered, his ice blue eyes as cold as stone. "Get out of here. The meeting's about to start."

"But…" Lightningpaw mewed. "Can't I at least know your name?"

The tom sighed. "Marredsoul," he muttered. "My name is Marredsoul. There. Are you happy now? Will you leave?"

Lightningpaw nodded, turning to go. "It was nice meeting you," she mewed over her shoulder. Marredsoul growled as she padded away.

The Gathering wasn't as exciting as Lightningpaw had hoped. All the leaders did was blabber on and on about new kits, apprentices, warriors, elders, prey, and the likes. The apprentice was glad when it was over. When Marshstar was gathering up the rest of LightClan to go back to camp, Lightningpaw looked back at where Marredsoul had been sitting, hoping to see him at least once more, but he had already melted into the shadows.

--

That night, Lightningpaw dreamed. She dreamt that she was on an open moor, probably somewhere in FrostClan territory. A light breeze ruffled Lightningpaw's fur. She glanced about her. The full, silver moon hung high in the night sky, casting a soft, pale glow over the forest below, turning every tree and blade of grass silver. Lightningpaw had never seen anything so beautiful in her whole life. She padded through the moor, sniffing the air, which was heavy with the stench of cats from another Clan. After a while of plodding through the tall grass, Lightningpaw came upon Marredsoul, or, at least, a cat who looked like Marredsoul. He was crouched beside a bush with another young cat. Lightningpaw couldn't tell who this cat was, for they were concealed in the shadows.

"Marredsoul?" Lightningpaw called. The two figures in the shadows did not look up. Lightningpaw took a step closer. She could faintly hear whispering coming from the two cats. Things like, "I love you," and "Don't ever leave me."

Suddenly, the ground disappeared from underneath Lightningpaw's paws, and she reappeared in a completely different location. There were those two shadowy figures again. They weren't in the shadows now, but they had no color to them, so Lightningpaw couldn't tell who they were. They both padded into a clump of brambles, and they remained in there for a while. Then the smaller cat emerged from the brambles and padded away, carrying a bundle with it.

_It's probably just herbs,_ Lightningpaw meowed. Then, she was in another place. This place was completely familiar. But she was a lot smaller, and being carried by something, or even someone. Then, there was a clap. Lightningpaw was dropped, and lay on the ground a few rabbit hops away from the colorless, shadowy cat.. Then, there was a bright flash of light. A screech of pain. And just when Lightningpaw's dream couldn't be any more frightening, there was another bright flash, and a searing pain ripped through her chest. The she-cat wanted to howl in pain, but she couldn't find the strength. She squeezed her eyes shut, hoping everything would go away. When she opened her eyes again, she was in the apprentice's den, panting heavily.

"Are you alright?" A voice asked. Lightningpaw looked up to see Smudgepaw standing over her. The tom's pale amber eyes were full of concern.

"Yeah," Lightningpaw replied. "I'm fine." In truth, though, her heart was pounding, and she had a terrible ache in her head.

"Well," Smudgepaw meowed. "Streamripple is taking me out to hunt, so I have to go." Streamripple was the deputy of LightClan, and also Smudgepaw's mentor.

"OK," Lightningpaw mewed. "Have fun." Smudgepaw nodded, and was gone.

Lightningpaw was not eager to get up. She feared that, as soon as she set paw outside of the apprentice's den, she would be struck by another flash of bright light. This was one of the times that Lightningpaw was thankful that her mentor was a heavy sleeper. Lightningpaw rested her head on her paws and tried desperately to forget all that she had seen.


	4. Chapter 3

-1**OK, time to skip a moon!**

Chapter 3

It had been a whole moon since Lightningpaw's encounter with Marredsoul. She had wanted to go to the Gathering so badly, but Marshstar had not let her go. Lightningpaw kept having that strange dream over and over again, and each time the dream only got hazier, until the only thing Lightningpaw could see was the occasional blur of the undergrowth. She had considered going to Swanheart, the medicine cat, and asking her about the dream, but then again, Lightningpaw wasn't sure she wanted to know what the dream meant. But by now, she was positive that Marredsoul was one of the colorless cats in her dream. And she was determined to see him again.

One night, Lightningpaw finally gave in and told Swanheart about her dream, begging the young medicine cat to interpret it for her. Swanheart had said that Lightningpaw was probably dreaming about Meekheart, a young queen who had been struck by lightning while carrying two kits back to LightClan's camp.

"I don't know much about the kits," Swanheart admitted. "I was on a trip up to the Sky Rock when it happened. Nobody ever told me the whole story. You'd have to ask Grayfoot about that. He was Meekheart's brother."

So Lightningpaw went right to Grayfoot and asked him about Meekheart.

"How did you hear about her?" Grayfoot asked, obviously put off guard a little.

"Swanheart was interpreting a dream I had," Lightningpaw replied. "She says that you're Meekheart's brother, and that I should talk to you about it."

Grayfoot sighed. "Come with me," he meowed.

--

Grayfoot led Lightningpaw out of camp and around the territory, heading for the stream that divided LightClan and SwampClan's territories. He clambered up onto a boulder that lay just at the edge of the stream, and beckoned for Lightningpaw to join him.

"Do you know how you got your name?" Grayfoot asked when Lightningpaw had seated herself beside Grayfoot. Lightningpaw shook her head. Grayfoot sighed. "I suppose I should start at the beginning." The tom's eyes grew cloudy, and he gazed into the distance as though he were in a trance. "Meekheart was the youngest kit in our family, and the only she-kit in the nursery to survive the snowstorm that hit many seasons ago. As an apprentice, she was extremely upbeat and happy to help anyone. She was also easily convinced, and extremely gullible.

"When Meekheart became a warrior, she was always sneaking off at night. One night, the medicine cat discovered that Meekheart was pregnant. She insisted that Sparrowfoot, one of her close friends, was the father. About seven sunrises before the kits were born, Sparrowfoot was killed by a FrostClan warrior. Meekheart had her kits outside of camp, and reported that they were lost. About two dawns later, she was bringing them back to camp when she and one of her kits were struck by lightning. Meekheart died, but her kits were saved."

"Who were the kits?" Lightningpaw asked, still confused.

"Well," Grayfoot murmured. "They're apprentices now. One of them is named Cragpaw. His younger sister is Lightningpaw."

"_Me?_" Lightningpaw squeaked in disbelief.

Grayfoot nodded. "Meekheart was your mother," he meowed. "And I'm your uncle."

Suddenly, a thought popped into Lightningpaw's head. _Meekheart's kits were born outside of camp,_ she remembered. _Marredsoul looks just like me. Marredsoul is a FrostClan cat. Sparrowfoot was killed by someone in FrostClan…That's it!_

"Are you alright?" Grayfoot asked.

"I'm fine," Lightningpaw replied, nodding. "Can we go back to camp now? I'm starved!"

Grayfoot agreed, and the two of them leapt down from the rock.

As they padded back to camp, Lightningpaw began planning her escape.


	5. Chapter 4

**OK, people! I'm back! Time for a new chapter!**

Chapter 4

It was moonrise when Lightningpaw cracked open her eyes. The whole camp was silent. She rose to her paws and padded silently out of the den.

"Hey!" a voice whispered. "What are you doing?"

Lightningpaw turned around. "Smudgepaw," she sighed. "I really don't want to talk right now."

"Why not?" Smudgepaw asked, padding over to Lightningpaw's side. "Are you OK?"

"I'm fine," Lightningpaw snapped. "Just go back to sleep."

"I can help you," Smudgepaw insisted.

"Go away!" Lightningpaw growled. "I have something I need to do."

"I can help," Smudgepaw repeated.

"Why are you so hopelessly devoted?" Lightningpaw asked. "I don't need you. I don't _want_ you. Go back to sleep, Smudgepaw."

Smudgepaw sighed. "I guess I'll just go, then," he meowed. With that, he turned and padded back into the den.

Lightningpaw slipped out of the camp and into the forest, keeping her nose in the air as she scented for patrols or stray cats. When she was sure that the coast was clear, she darted straight toward FrostClan territory.

It wasn't long before she reached the border. She looked all around her and scented the air. The stench of FrostClan cats was strong in the air, but stale. _A patrol must have passed by not too long ago,_ Lightningpaw thought as she crossed over the border. Then, she began a charge straight toward the camp. It wasn't long before she barelled into a large tabby tom.

"What are you doing here?" the tom demanded as Lightningpaw rolled onto her side. She recognized the fierce ice blue eyed staring back at her.

"Marredsoul!" she cried. "I've been looking for you. Listen, I need to talk to you. Grayfoot told me everything!"

"I don't know what you're talking about," Marredsoul snarled, his eyes cold. But Lightningpaw could smell shock coming off of him in heavy waves.

"Yes you do!" Lightningpaw cried. "You know about Meekheart! You know how you used her for your own personal gain! You know how you slaughtered Sparrowfoot when she insisted he was the father! You know how she was struck by lightning! And you know that Cragpaw and I are your children!"

"Marredsoul!" a voice cried. A lithe dark ginger she-cat appeared on the crest of the hill and darted down to join him. "Are you alright?" Then she noticed Lightningpaw. "Who in StarClan's name is _that_?"

"Auburnpelt," Marredsoul meowed, his tone flat. "You're the deputy. Take this kit back to the LightClan camp."

"I'm not leaving you!" Lightningpaw mewed as Auburnpelt grabbed her by the scruff and dragged her over to the edge of the border.

"Now, come on," Auburnpelt meowed gently. "You're tired, I'm tired, we should both be asleep. Don't make this any harder than it has to be."

"Have you ever had kits before?" Lightningpaw asked.

"Yes," Auburnpelt sighed. "I've got a litter in the nursery right now. I should be nursing them, I know, but they're old enough to look after themselves."

"How old are they?"

"Four moons."

"Who's the father?"

"You sure do ask a lot of questions," Auburnpelt commented. "Marredsoul's their father. You know, when he first asked me to be his mate, I didn't think he'd make a good father. But he's been nothing but kind and supportive to the kits."

"Oh." Lightningpaw looked down at her paws. Had Marredsoul really moved on so quickly? Didn't he ever stop to think about Meekheart, or wonder how his kits were, growing up in another Clan? Lightningpaw didn't want to sound too upset, so she tried to keep the conversation going. "What are their names?"

"Well," Auburnpelt meowed. "The firstborn looks just like his father, but he doesn't have the muscle. He's got amber eyes, like me, so we named him Amberkit. The second one's a pale ginger tabby. She's got her father's eyes. We named her Sparkkit for her energy and enthusiasm."

By now, they had reached the camp. Auburnpelt slipped in first, followed by Lightningpaw, who suddenly remembered the consequences of sneaking out.

"Intruder!" Someone from inside the apprentices' den screeched. All the apprentices raced out into the clearing, ready to tackle Auburnpelt.

"She's got Lightningpaw!" Smudgepaw cried happily. "We were so worried about you, Lightningpaw!"

"Why didn't you kill Lightningpaw first?" Hazepaw called grumpily. "You would've done us all a favor."

Lightningpaw shot Hazepaw a glare and slipped into the leader's den.

"What is the meaning of this, Auburnpelt?" Marshstar demanded.

"Your apprentice was tresspassing on FrostClan territory. No harm was done to anyone, but I advise you to keep her away from the FrostClan border for a while. No doubt tensions will be high when Marredsoul reports suspicious activity."

"Shouldn't you be nursing your kits?" Marshstar asked worriedly. "They still have several moons to go before being apprenticed, don't they?"

"Thank you for your concern, Marshstar," Auburnpelt meowed, dipping her head. "But Azurewhisker offered to nurse them for the rest of the night."

"Well," Marshstar meowed. "Thank you for returning Lightningpaw to our Clan safely."

Auburnpelt dipped her head and backed out of the den. Marshstar turned to face Lightningpaw, his green eyes cold.

"I guess I'm in a lot of trouble, huh?" Lightningpaw mewed.


End file.
